Life is full of ups and downs; one minute you're celebrating a win or breakthrough, and the next minute you'll find yourself in a situation of sadness due to loss, demotion, and the like, and these sometimes can lead to individuals regretting some of the actions or decisions they made, while some would be grateful for making those decisions or actions, especially when it turns out well. All of these have made it seem like life isn't fair and made people wonder what's the point of trying, but overall I believe we've all had good and bad days, and that's why in this article I'll be sharing two personal experiences of me going through the highs and lows of life.
The Harder I fall
To start with, I'd love to share a personal experience of mine when it felt as though success was slipping out of my hand. It was about two years after I graduated from the university and had jumped from one job to another in search of one that would pay well enough to make ends meet, and along the line, I and some of my friends who graduated from the same institution got employed to work at a Lagos state-owned resort known simply as Jubilee Chalet. Immediately, I knew this was far better than every other job I'd done prior to that. Aside from the fact that it's kind of flexible, the pay was also great, and I'm looking forward to rising through the ranks in that place.
After months of working there, I had loads of mind-blowing opportunities, including getting to build connections and meet reputable individuals, including the former vice president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote; the former governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Ganduje; the former governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode; and other dignitaries.I thought I was set for life and would definitely have to build a career in the hospitality sector, due to how regular dignitaries use our resort for their meetings, conferences, and the like, but then, things went south after about eight months of working there.
It happened that our institution just submitted our name for NYSC, meaning we're supposed to go for a one-year compulsory service to any state we're posted to. Seeing that information, I spoke with my colleagues who are in the same boat as me, and we decided to keep quiet about this until we saw our posting letter, because even though the organization is already demanding our NYSC discharge certificate, they won't sack us because we don't have it. My plan was to redeploy back for continuity's sake, but unfortunately for me, on my off day, my colleagues let the cat out of the bag, and by the time I resumed the next day, we were all summoned by the manager.
On getting to his office, he stated his disappointment about not telling him about our NYSC plans and how he was hearing it from someone else. He said that we were planning on leaving the organization without information, and so he relieved us of our duties, and I tried to let him know that's not the case, but the deed had already been done, and so we got fired. And to make matters worse, we weren't called up for NYSC until after another 7 months.
Those seven months were frustrating; to crown it all, I couldn't secure another job and had to struggle to survive with the little money I had saved before I was sacked.
It's Getting Better
The second experience that turned from bad to great was a few years back, when I had to resign from my former place of work due to some important family demand. After that demand was met, it was quite difficult to secure a new job, and I was getting frustrated by the day. Mentally I wasn't feeling myself, and I so desired change, and these led me to moving from one job interview to another, and yet nothing positive showed forth. So it got to a point I kind of thought I should put everything in my maker's hands, so I prayed and even included the amount of salary I'd love to be paid in those prayer points.
And so life continues, but a few weeks after that prayer, I was called by a strange number informing me about an interview I needed to attend at their organization. Hearing the organization that was calling, I was thrilled, and so I packed all my credentials and set out for the place so I could arrive on time. To cut the long story short, I ended up getting a job at that organization, and funny enough, it was the exact amount I prayed to be my salary that I was being paid for a start. I was so full of joy and at the same time wishing I had asked for a higher wage than that, but overall it was a good turnaround that improved my mental well-being and status till this present day.
Both experiences affect my mental health, but then I learn a few lessons from them, and in the first, it was the importance of dialogue and conversation to explain things in detail, especially when the situation involves more than you. I learn I can't trust others to think like I do, and so I won't stay back and let their actions affect me negatively like they did in that first experience. In the second, I learn the importance of patience, using those waiting periods to improve myself, and to not always rely on my capabilities alone, and also to not be afraid to crave the highest form of blessings regardless of how unreasonable it may seem. Imagine I had prayed for a higher wage, and it came to reality just the same way the moderate one did.
All photos are mine.